


Fish Tail

by deaththerabbit



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, kanata gets a whale plushie, mermaid au, poor kaoru gets a mouthful of scales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 21:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16071791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaththerabbit/pseuds/deaththerabbit
Summary: Kaoru enjoys his last day of summer surfing, but something strange disrupts his relaxation.





	Fish Tail

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday present for my friend, Katie~! I hope you enjoy it!!! :D

It was the last warm day of the season, and Kaoru couldn’t help but wish the warm weather would last just a little bit longer. He would miss surfing the waves and floating along on his board without a care in the world.

He felt a connection to the sea that he felt nowhere else, and the parting would be sad until the beginning of the next summer.

Kaoru dipped his fingers into the water lazily, staring out at the sun slowly sinking below the horizon, looking as if it were being swallowed up by the sea. The air was just beginning to grow chilly and the tide was just starting to come in for the evening, ebbing back and forth calmly.

His insulated wetsuit would keep him warm for a while longer, but he would still have to start heading back to shore before it got dark. As extraordinary as it was being out on the calm sea with the moon and stars shining ever so brightly, it was also incredibly dangerous.

Kaoru let out a sigh and supposed that he should start to head back. He was glad that he at least had a view of the ocean at home and that it would be enough to last him through fall, winter, and spring.

He took a moment to stretch before slowly using his hands to turn and slowly propel himself back to shore. He wanted to enjoy what little time he had in the ocean, and it wouldn’t hurt to take his time when there was still light in the sky.

Tomorrow, he would be back into his daily routine and he would miss the sea dearly. It would take some adjusting to get used to not going down to the beach every day.

A thrashing in the water drew Kaoru’s attention and he searched rapidly for the source of the noise. It could very likely be someone in trouble, and Kaoru wasn’t about to let someone drown or anything of the like.

The sea went quiet again for a moment, and then Kaoru spotted a pale hand sticking up out of the water, grasping for anything to latch onto desperately.

Kaoru paddled over as quickly as he could on his board, growing desperate as he saw the hand sink below the surface of the calm water.

The moment he reached the spot where the hand disappeared, he dove into the water, blinking his eyes to get used to the salty sting of the water. He searched around for whoever had sunk below the surface, catching sight of an old net made with rusting steel wire.

He spotted the poor soul when he saw a cloud of blood billowing up around one end of the enormous net. Panic struck him and he almost swallowed a mouthful of water when he saw what had happened.

Kaoru kicked out, swimming as quickly as he could towards the net. At first, he didn’t notice the glaringly obvious, too focused on saving the young man who had gotten stuck in the net.

Blue hair billowing out around him, the man’s face was hidden, but from what Kaoru could tell, the net had somehow got caught around his throat, and he had not been able to free himself.

When he got close enough, he tipped the man’s head back to get a clear look. It didn’t look as if the wire from the net had caused too much damage and had instead gotten caught in the man’s...gills?

Lungs burning, Kaoru pretended like there was nothing strange going on here. Instead he retrieved his diving knife from a pouch he wore and worked at trying to cut through the wire cutting off the man’s airway.

It took only a moment, and Kaoru pulled the wire away from the man’s throat, setting to work on untangling him the rest of the way from the net, despite the fact that he was growing desperately in need of air.

Kaoru stopped suddenly when he came across the man’s long tail, blue scales glittering beautifully and marred only in the spots where the sharp wire had dug in. He couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. People like this only existed in myth!

Shaking his head, Kaoru quickly finished freeing the young man from the net, wrapping one arm under his armpits and quickly kicking towards the surface. It was slowly going with the added weight of the man’s tail, but he didn’t stop, even when the edges of his vision began fading to black.

He burst out over the surface, drawing in harsh, rapid breaths, and adjusting just enough to make certain the man’s head was above the water.

Thankfully, his surfboard hadn’t drifted too far out of reach, and even though he was exhausted, Kaoru pulled the man over to the board, hoisting him up out onto it as safely as he could manage.

Then he went about checking for a pulse, well aware that the light was quickly fading into the ocean, leaving them in a soft twilight. His fingers found his wrist, and at first, Kaoru could not feel his heart beating and he feared that he hadn’t made it in time.

Then he felt it, faint and uneven, his heart still beat, chest rising and falling ever so slightly with each pained breath of the salty ocean air.

It was enough to get Kaoru moving again, and he quickly pushed his board and the man towards shore, which was thankfully not far off. But his exhaustion was not the only danger.

A cold breeze brushed across Kaoru’s face, sending a shiver down his spine. He could feel the water cooling with the sun setting, and redoubled his efforts to get back to shore before his strength ran out completely.

Finally, the board hit sand, and Kaoru staggered to his feet, dragging both his board and the man far enough onshore that the tide could not threaten to drag them back out to sea. Then he collapsed into the still warm sand and crawled to the man’s side, checking to make sure that his chest still rose and fell with each breath.

The man hadn’t moved or shown any sign of waking up, but it didn’t seem as if his condition had worsened or anything. Kaoru let out a sigh of relief and slowly turned the man’s head to examine his bloodied gills, concerned to find that they had been damaged badly enough to impede his breathing underwater.

It didn’t seem as if he had trouble breathing on land, though, which was a major relief to Kaoru. He had a little hope that he might recover now that he was safe out of reach of dangerous predators that might take advantage of the man’s vulnerability.

Kaoru let out a small sigh and turned his attention to the man’s long, shimmering tail, stopping in place again. He could hardly believe his eyes. Without all the blood, his tail would be absolutely stunning.

He slowly reached out one hand and brushed his finger across his scales, startled to find that they were very real. A small frown crossed his face as something occurred to him.

What would happen if someone came down for an evening stroll and saw the man’s beautiful tail? A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that if he was spotted, only harm would come to him.

Kaoru glanced around quickly to make sure they were alone, and rose to his feet. He leaned over and slid one arm under the man’s back and the other under his tail, and lifted him carefully.

He was startled to find how heavy he was, then promptly realized that it must be the added weight of his tail. It didn’t make it any easier to carry him up the beach, and neither did the thick fabric of what seemed like ceremonial clothes.

Kaoru made his way up to where he had parked his car in the sand, relieved to find that it was the only still there. He leaned back, balancing on one foot, and used the other to lift the passenger door handle up enough to open it.

He wedged his foot between the door and pulled it open carefully. Then he leaned in and set the man down in the seat, reclining it back all the way so that he could adjust his tail into a less painful position.

Once he made sure that the man would be comfortable, he grabbed the spare towel and blanket from the backseat and gently placed them across his tail to hide it from anyone who might decide to snoop around.

Kaoru shut the door gently, and darted back down to where he had left his board, tucking it under his arm and hurrying back as quickly as he could.

When he returned to his car, he lifted the surfboard up onto the top of the car and secured it into place carefully, taking care to make sure it wouldn’t fall off halfway home. Then he went around to the driver’s side and got in, glad that he had forgotten to bring his keys down to the beach with him.

He snagged the keys from the cup holder and stuck the right one in the ignition, starting up his car. While he waited for it to warm up, he glanced over to check on the man, only to find that he had opened his brilliantly green eyes and was staring at him with mixture of fear and bewilderment.

“Ah, it’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid.” Kaoru offered him a gentle smile, hoping to soothe his fears at least a little. “You were caught in a net, and I cut you loose…”

The man stared at him with wide eyes, shaking his head slowly, as if he were still afraid or didn’t believe him.

“I promise I won’t hurt you.” Kaoru raised his hands up to show that he meant no harm, unaware of the blood that dripped from his fingertips from where the wire had dug in while he was cutting the man free. “My name is Kaoru, what’s yours?”

“...Kanata.” The man managed to croak out, eyes locked on Kaoru’s face.   
“Where are ‘you’ taking me?” He asked slowly, unable to keep his fear from leaking into his voice.

“I’m taking you to my house. I...wanted to make sure you weren’t found by the wrong person, and I wanted to be able to do something to help you…” Kaoru glanced away, trying to pretend he hadn’t started blushing.

Kanata shifted, pulling the blanket closer to his face. Apparently, Kaoru’s words had only done more to frighten him.

Kaoru glanced back at Kanata and frowned when he realized why Kanata was scared. “Ah, but I’m going to take you back here when you’re better. I promise you that. So, please...don’t be afraid, okay?”

The man shifted his tail slightly, nervous and still afraid, but he gave a hesitant nod, watching Kaoru in silence.

“Please let me know if there’s anything you need, okay?” Kaoru was worried that Kanata would panic halfway home, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

When Kanata nodded just slightly, Kaoru heaved a sigh of relief, and began backing his car out of the sand and back onto the pavement.

Once he was fully on the pavement, he turned around and began to drive home, trying to fight off his exhaustion. Everything was starting to hit him all at once.

He had spent all day surfing decent waves, and then had saved Kanata and carried him all the way to his car. He had not had a chance to rest, and he assumed that he wouldn’t get one until he cleaned up Kanata’s injuries.

There was a rustling in the seat next to him, and Kaoru glanced over to see that Kanata had found some of the shells he had picked up from the seafloor throughout the summer. He watched him fiddle with the shells for a bit and finally settle with the biggest conch shell pressed close against his ear, probably to listen to the sound of his home.

Kaoru turned his attention back to the road, glad to see that the tension had left Kanata with the familiar sound of his home pressed up against his ear.

It didn’t take him long to make it to the house high up on the cliffside that overlooked the ocean. It was the place Kaoru had called home for quite a while, and he was always happy to return to it. Today was no exception.

He pulled up in front of his house and turned the car off, just sitting still for a moment. It really was a beautiful home and it certainly overlooked a beautiful view. It would be an understatement to say that Kaoru was well off, and while a little of his money came from his family, the majority of it came from his job, and from him having saved up for years and years so that he could afford this place.

Kaoru glanced over at Kanata and let out a soft sigh. “I’m going to have to carry you inside, okay?” He asked softly, trying to make himself sound as gentle as he possibly could so as not to frighten him.

Kanata shrank away as Kaoru got out of the car and came around to the other side. He clutched the conch shell to his chest, his cheeks puffed out in a faint pout.

“I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to take you inside. Your tail must be starting to dry out by now…” Kaoru pointed out gently.

The fish man peeked under the blankets to find that his tail was, indeed, beginning to dry out. Fear flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he slowly nodded his head. “Okay…”

Kaoru offered him a smile and very gently lifted Kanata into his arms, allowing him to wrap both arms around his neck securely. Then he carried him up to the door, shifting him in his arms enough to put his house key in the lock and turn it. He carried Kanata inside and kicked the door shut behind him.

Without saying a word, Kaoru carried Kanata over into the bathroom and set him gently in the tub. He turned the water on, making sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold. He turned and went to the medicine cabinet, where he kept medical supplies in case of any sort of accident he ended up in while he was diving or surfing.

Behind him, Kanata sank into the slowly rising water, fiddling with the conch shell and casting nervous glances at Kaoru. He was still afraid, but so far, the man had done nothing to hurt him.

Kaoru came back over to the tub after a few moments, turning the water off once it had reached the brim. He set his supplies down on the edge and offered Kanata a little whale plush that he kept on the top of the medicine cabinet.

“Can I look at your gills?” He asked softly, wanting to examine how bad the damage was, but not wanting to scare him or cross his boundaries. “I promise I won’t hurt you on purpose, but I don’t want it to get infected or anything.”

Kanata hesitated, squishing the whale plush close to his chest. Then he nodded slowly, glancing down at it. “Can I keep ‘this?’” He asked slowly, voice soft and scratchy.

“Of course. I don’t mind at all.” Kaoru sat down on the floor on the other side of the tub, leaning close enough to look at Kanata’s gills.

Thankfully, the water had washed away most of the blood, but there was still a bit left to clean up, and something shiny buried halfway into the wound. He frowned and dampened a rag, carefully bringing it up to wipe away the rest of the blood.

Kanata flinched, a faint whimper escaping his lips. He began to tremble under Kaoru’s touch, not liking the pain one bit.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Kaoru frowned, pulling away to give him a chance to recover a bit. “It looks like there’s a bit of wire stuck, and it needs to come out. It’ll hurt a bit, but once it’s out, it’ll feel better…”

“But it will hurt.” Kanata began to shy away, squishing the plush against his chest again.

“I know, but you could get an infection if it doesn’t come out. It’ll hurt worse if it’s left in…” Kaoru leaned over the tub slowly, tweezers in one hand. He stopped short and waited until Kanata slowly edged back towards him.

Kaoru gently tilted Kanata’s head to the side so that he could get a better look. Then he slowly leaned in, using the tweezers to get a grip on the piece of wire that still stuck out. He paused for a moment, examining the wound to see if he could just yank it out without putting Kanata’s life at risk instead of just slowly pulling it out.

It wasn’t buried deep, but it was a little too close to Kanata’s windpipe and jugular for Kaoru’s comfort. He knew it would be more painful to pull it out slowly, but it would be safer.

With a sigh, he slowly resumed pulling the wire out, Kanata trembling beneath him. Suddenly, Kanata jerked violently, flailing.

Kaoru felt something heavy smack him painfully in the face, and he fell backwards onto the now damp floor, his cheek throbbing and entirely too dizzy to even think of trying to sit up. It would be an understatement to say that he had had his senses knocked out of him.

There was a splash and the faint noise of Kanata dragging himself out of the tub. He thumped onto the ground heavily, and Kaoru could faintly hear him dragging himself over to him. It was a genuine surprise that he had not made a break for the door instead of crawling over to him.

Blue hair appeared in his peripheral vision and Kaoru slowly glanced over, still dazed as Kanata leaned over him, expression darkened with pain and guilt. “I’m sorry…” He whispered, peering down at Kaoru, almost worriedly.

“Ah, it’s okay...I just wish you wouldn’t have gone for my face. I have a date tomorrow night…” Kaoru sat up slowly, the world seeming to spin around him. “Ah, maybe I should take tomorrow off of work. I’m a bit...dizzy.”

Kanata frowned, leaning close enough to take a look at Kaoru’s face and the bruise that was beginning to form. There wasn’t really much he could do in terms of actually fixing what he had done, but he supposed there was something he could do that always made him feel better. Hesitantly, he leaned closer and gave him a very gentle kiss on the spot where his tail had crashed into Kaoru’s face. “There, now it will ‘heal’ quicker.”

Kaoru froze completely, his face blushing a deep red the moment Kanata’s lips met his face. However, he was far too dizzy to properly push him away, and so he just sat there, thinking about the feeling of Kanata’s soft lips pressed against his cheek.

“Ahhh...um, oh! Your throat. That’s right.” Kaoru mumbled, quickly focusing on something else instead of the kiss. He leaned close, ignoring how close he was to Kanata again and peered at his damaged gills.

It appeared that somehow, despite the way Kaoru had been jerked away by Kanata’s tail slap, he had managed to remove the wire without further damaging his throat. It was a major relief, although there was fresh blood welling from the wound.

“Here, let me just…” Kaoru mumbled, slowly reaching for the roll of bandages and antiseptic wipes. “This will just hurt a bit…” He moved slowly, focusing on Kanata’s gills until the world stopped spinning around him. His movements grew more confident and steady with each passing moment.

Once he was done cleaning and bandaging up Kanata’s gills, he leaned back to take a look at his tail, somewhat hesitant to get any closer. Thankfully, it seemed as if he wouldn’t have to, because the majority of the cuts on his tail were small and had already stopped bleeding.

Kanata shifted awkwardly, pulling the layers of his clothes more closely against him. Was he cold? Perhaps it was the cold breeze whooshing in from the open window. Either way, he began to shiver.

“Cold?” Kaoru asked gently, a small frown on his face. When Kanata nodded, he slowly rose to his feet and lifted him up in his arms again gently, staggering as his dizziness returned for a moment. He frowned, but slowly carried Kanata back over to the tub and set him back down in the lukewarm water.

Kanata sank into the the depths of the tub, peeking out at Kaoru from it much in the same way that a crocodile would, although without the intent to eat him. “...thank you.”

“Hm? Oh, no need to thank me. I just...didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” Kaoru awkwardly scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Will you stay ‘here’ with me?” Kanata mumbled, averting his gaze slowly.

“Ah, sure, I guess.” Kaoru replied hesitantly, sitting down by the tub with him. He sighed and rested his head on the edge of the tub and shut his eyes while Kanata sank down into the water further. It wasn’t long before they both drifted off into sleep, blissfully unaware of the adventures that had yet to come their way, and the happiness that would come with them.


End file.
